Today Ukrainian media close to their government report that Russian guided bomb attacks reduced by half since Ukraine may use western weapons inside Russia. I hope Germany’s Scholz reads that.

@Papamousse

This is bad, but this not ‘only’ about profit-making companies.

Tradingeconomics reports:

Higher prices were recorded for services (+11.4% vs. +11.3% in October) and food (+9.9% vs. +9%), notably butter (+34.1% vs +29.7%) and fruit and vegetables (+18.7% vs +13.5%). Meanwhile, non-food product price growth remained steady at 5.7%.

‘We had to stop this’: Woman who grabbed South Korean soldier’s gun speaks to BBC

A chaotic night in South Korea produced scenes most thought were consigned to the nation’s history.

One in particular has caught the attention of many: a woman confronting soldiers who were sent to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly.

Footage of Ahn Gwi-ryeong, 35, a spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Party, grabbing the weapon of a soldier during the commotion has been shared widely online.

“I didn’t think… I just knew we had to stop this,” she told the BBC Korean Service. Ahn made her way to the assembly building as soldiers descended on it, shortly after the president declared martial law across South Korea.

How South Korea’s Robust Protest Culture Shut Down Martial Law—For Now – [Archived version]

A surge in dramas and literature dealing with the country’s political trauma has helped older generations keep the memory of autocracy fresh.

Back in September, amid simmering tensions between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the country’s parliament, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung issued a warning: Yoon and his allies were preparing to declare martial law.

The claim was roundly dismissed as alarmist, the irresponsible stuff of conspiracy theories—even by some of Lee’s supporters. But the warning was prescient. On Tuesday, Yoon shocked the world by carrying out exactly what had been warned, declaring that martial law was necessary to save South Korea from “anti-state forces.”

The action instantly prompted scenes of chaos to unfold, with stunned lawmakers, and thousands of ordinary citizens, mobilizing to protest the declaration. Hours later, a unanimous parliamentary vote forced Yoon to back down. Still, his fate remains uncertain. Many are increasingly concerned that Yoon could reinstate martial law once more. Meanwhile, immense crowds continue to gather in Seoul, demanding Yoon’s removal.

I forget to post an important issue mentioned in the article:

Afghanistan already has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with a report released last year noting 620 women were dying per 100,000 live births.

Addition:

Taliban shuts down women-only cafes in Herat province, citing ‘moral concerns’

In a new wave of restrictions targeting women’s freedoms in Afghanistan, Taliban authorities have closed women-only cafes in Herat province. These establishments, which were operated by women for women, have been forcibly shut down by the Ministry of Virtue and Vice officials.

The cafe owners, in their conversations with Radio Azadi, revealed that Taliban authorities justified the closures by claiming these venues could potentially lead to moral corruption. This action represents yet another step in the Taliban’s systematic limitation of women’s social spaces.

Update: After the 4th night of profests that saw Georgians stand again against their government’s tear gas and water cannons, a new report says that 80% of protesters who were detained were being subjected to violence and mistreatment by the police..

Meanwhile, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Telegram that Georgia was “moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss. Usually this sort of thing ends very badly.”

“Of course not,” Medvedev told journalists when questioned about whether the ruling Georgian Dream party would agree to hold a new vote as demanded by the country’s president, opposition, and the European Parliament.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also said Monday that Russia views parallels between events in Georgia and those in 2013 and 2014 in Ukraine when a wave of protests was triggered by the then pro-Russian president’s decision not to sign an association agreement with the EU.

It’s time that Western democracies understand that this is not about Ukraine and Georgia, but on democracy. Putin and his fellow dictators around the globe won’t back down until they are completely defeated. Any ‘appeasement policy’ towards Russia will be like a time travel to the 1938 Europe imo.

Georgia president calls for new elections as protests erupt again

Georgia’s pro-Western president has said she will stay in post until new parliamentary elections are held, as protests continue over the government’s decision to put EU accession negotiations on hold.

Speaking to the BBC, Salome Zourabichvili, who has sided with the opposition, described the current parliament as “illegitimate” after allegations of fraud in last month’s elections.

Zourabichvili said she would retain her role as president, despite the country’s newly elected parliament saying it would choose her replacement on 14 December.